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Newt Gingrich cuts staff, aims for Tampa

The remaining staff will be waging a campaign aimed at what DeSantis termed a “big-choice convention” in Tampa this summer. Both Gingrich — and Rick Santorum — argue that Romney cannot reach the 1,144 delegates needed to clinch the GOP nomination, and even if they can’t either, they may be able to prevent him from doing so.

“This big choice convention phase will be focused on two goals. 1. Affecting the national dialogue to show that Gingrich is the most capable of defeating Obama, by leading on issues that put the president on defense – like Newt’s $2.50 Gas Plan; and 2. A parallel communications strategy directly to the delegates,” DeSantis wrote in an email.

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DeSantis argued that one million more people had voted against Romney than had supported him.

“We believe that if Governor Romney is unable to secure 1,144 by the last primaries, he will be unable to do so at the convention where the vast majority of the delegates are conservative,” DeSantis said. “That creates [an] environment at the convention where Gingrich can emerge as the one candidate who can unite social, economic and national security conservatives (a fact which is borne out by polling).”

Gingrich kicked off his presidential bid with high hopes in May 2011. But problems arose almost immediately in the candidate’s inner circle as his entire senior staff quit just a month later. But the ex-speaker regrouped and came back, peaking in the polls right before the Iowa caucuses in December.

Much of the Republican’s strategy centered around his debate performances in which he took straight aim at the media, and it worked. But Romney’s financial advantage — carried out by his super PAC — allowed him to pummel Gingrich with ads in Iowa that highlighted the ex-speaker’s “excessive baggage.” They worked — Rick Santorum ended up winning Iowa, starting a pattern in which the former Pennsylvania senator would eventually trump Gingrich as the choice of conservative voters who don’t like Romney.

Gingrich returned briefly in South Carolina but was pulled under again by Romney’s huge financial advantage in Florida. He never recovered, losing the Nevada caucuses and any momentum his campaign had.

Following Nevada, his campaign virtually disappeared, though it did hold a meeting attended by casino mogul Sheldon Adelson — whose family has bankrolled Gingrich’s super PAC — to reset priorities. It was decided the campaign would stay positive and focus on the South.

But that strategy didn’t pay off. While Gingrich virtually ignored Michigan and Ohio — hard-fought states where Romney and Santorum squared off — he focused on Georgia, Oklahoma and Tennessee. But aside from Georgia, it was Santorum who took those states, as well as Alabama and Mississippi, when those primaries were held.

The final indignity came when after spending an entire week in Louisiana, Gingrich couldn’t even score a single delegate on primary night.

Still, he pledged to go on, and has gone to Delaware and Maryland this week. Callista Gingrich is set to campaign in her home state of Wisconsin on Wednesday and Thursday.

At the campaign’s Virginia headquarters, Haley, 45, will now be in charge. Haley started working for Gingrich in 2003, at Gingrich’s Center for Health Transformation. He later served as Gingrich’s policy director at the American Enterprise Institute and was vice president of policy at American Solutions, Gingrich’s former think tank. He graduated from William and Mary in 1988, with a bachelor’s in political science, and law and master’s degrees from the University of Virginia.

Haley also has worked at a New York law firm and the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

The only thing this can be is ego. I guess he is staying in to see his name in the news, and an interview on TV everyone once in a while. Although an increasingly disinterested press is (thank God) beginning to ignore him. If he had any sense of reality, he would get out.

Why is gingrich bothering to stay in the race at all...both gingrich and callista feed off each other's egos and are delusional...i hope they have paid the staff they are laying off....gingrich just craves attention and callista is as bad as he is..the both of them need to just go away and do whatever they do away from the spotlight...

Take advantage of the local free media in every state. All local tv, radio, print. They'll be thrilled to have a presidential candidate unlike the jaded national press. Focus on BIG THEMES with easy to follow points. No more going down rabbit holes like beating up on the courts. Positives to build the economy, build national defense, build health. You have that brain science thing in your 21st Century Contract with America. Its a great point. Dust it off and use it. "BUILD" is the operate word. Not "destroy". Discipline your message. Stay on it. Rarely deviate and if you do its to attack Obama not Romney or Santorum. Fun stunts. Go down slides at county fairs. Mix with regular people at popular events. More deviled eggs and less egg heads. Humor. Use low cost ads with a humorous angle. It works with the best commercials. Use it with you. Send your wife and daughters as surrogates to every public service club you can. A lot of word of mouth for primaries in those Rotaries and Kiwanis. Pray Romney makes a hell of a mistake. That Rick continues to say stupid things. You will need all of these to have a ghost of a chance to win the nomination on the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd ballots. I forgot, better get a lot of the establishment to think better of you. You will need their help to sway undecided, uncommitted delegates to turn to you.

The dream of installing Callista as First Adulteress is nearing the end. Is there any truth to the rumor that although a photo of you with Newt will cost you $50, that a photo with Callista, for obvious reasons, will only cost you two bits?